Update on Cammy

After her lifesaving operation, Cammy was in such extreme pain that she could not eat. It was only after the vet upped the dosage for her pain meds that she finally managed to stomach her first meal after more than 2 days. Although she has started to eat, the next 48 hours will still be very critical. The vet told us that we brought her in just in time as she would not have survived past the weekend. Looking back, it certainly seems like fate that we rescued her when we did.

Finally, a smile

Being black, Cammy blended right in with her surroundings, a dark, deserted factory. We definitely would not have found her if not for a furry friend's intervention. When we went on our usual feeding rounds that Saturday night, we called and called but Cammy did not come running like she usually did. We were about to leave when we heard another dog barking fervently some distance away, as if asking for help, and we decided to check it out.

It was a good thing we did.

When we saw Cammy, our hearts sank. We had put a collar on her a few months back, because she was so extremely friendly that we worried about how easily she might be caught by the authorities and culled. Without this collar, we wouldn't have been able to identify Cammy that Saturday. At first look, the black dog we saw was not the Cammy we knew. She did not run to us and flip over onto her back asking for her usual belly rubs. Instead, she lay in a puddle of water, motionless.

Still weak and groggy but forcing herself to sit up to look at us 

Her huge distended stomach was filled with more than 3 liters of urine! This is akin to her internal organs being soaked in acid! Can you imagine the pain she was going through? A small blister hurts so badly, but a burnt and blistered abdomen is unthinkable. We mere humans probably won't be able to survive the pain but this was what Cammy had been experiencing there in the dark for hours, with only a friend who thankfully decided to call for help.

Cammy may develop peritonitis (inflammation of the membrane around the organs and abdominal wall) due to the prolonged exposure to urea, and is also in grave danger of succumbing to kidney failure. Because of the tear in the bladder, her body was unable to excrete all the toxins accumulated by the kidneys. Cammy's kidney values were horrible as the toxins in her kidneys had built up to a dangerous level, and her readings were:
Urea >130 mg/dL (Normal range 7-27)
Phosphate >16.1 mg/dL (Normal range 2.5-6.8)

Cammy will need to stay at the clinic for a few more days as her condition is still very critical and she needs to be under strict observation. For now, the vet will continue to induce urination (diuresis) to keep Cammy's kidneys functioning. Hopefully, with continued diuresis, we can get her kidney values back down. How much lasting damage remains depends on how well her body is able to concentrate urine and what her kidney values are. We can only keep our fingers crossed and pray for the best.

Her vet bill has ballooned and we have spent more than $3000 in these few short days alone. Although we cannot afford the bills, which is snowballing by the day, we have no choice but to do all we can to save this little girl who had always greeted us with enthusiasm and many wet kisses.

Sweet Cammy, Mathilda's sister

Cammy has been a very brave little girl and we know she will pull through this critical period. After her discharge, Cammy will need a temporary home where she can comfortably recuperate. If you are able to offer a space in your home and heart for our little girl, or if you would like to contribute towards Cammy's vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg